No. 6 Lahainaluna, Kauai only unbeaten neighbors

Good comment BigkokJoe. Lahainaluna has been dominating Maui HS Football for the last 2 years. Sad that they want to poach the bottom Div 2 level. Its actually worse than what Iolani has done in the past because now there are 3 divisions and they’re the best team on Maui playing in the lowest division in the state.

To the ILH haters out there like ??? and TooMeke and all of their aliases. Many families choose to send their children to ILH schools over their public school counterparts with the hope of getting a better education. Not athletics and most kids were never recruited. The fact that Punahou, St. Louis, and Kamehameha get a lot of good players is often a byproduct of a school that has superior educational programs that give their children better college/educational opportunities. Until Hawaii puts more money into our public schools we will continue to have many choose private schools over public schools, including those families who can barely afford to do so. The disparity that exists on the football field has less to do with recruiting as it does with academic and safety deficiencies in the public school system. Write to your local senator and representative. Hawaii needs to fund its public schools with at least the same vigor as it funds its prison system. Right…Go Figure????

Who the hell is Kenny Estes? Junk league.

@bangkokjoe and seadog. You both are so right. It is sad that Lahainaluna plays down in D2. They are a very good football team that deserves better and only have their coaches to blame. The kids want to play up because they are competitors, but it’s not their call. The excuse I’ve heard from the co-head coach is that they want to send the two best teams from Maui to represent in the state tournament. This means them playing D2 so one of the other perennial top teams, Maui High or Baldwin would represent D1, not a lesser team like King K or Kamehameha Maui. Blahblahblah!!!
Since when you ever care about Maui High and Baldwin lol. The truth is it’s always been about the coaches at Lahainaluna, not the kids. Championships feed their ego, which to them is more important than letting the kids reach their potential through better competition. This is no secret though, even coaches in other sports at the school that DO compete at the D1 level laugh and say what a joke it is. Too bad cuz it’s only hurting these great kids.

No worriezzz bah!!! They goin come D1! Always goin have naysayers to whoever is successful. Just like everything else..”opinions are like a-holes, everybody’s got one”. Unfortunately, in this case, most get bigger and no stinkier ones than others. Lahainaluna no need rankings or to be known. We better “unknown” and just play for the ring bu-nutts! Everything is a progress, and we progressing just fine. Sea Dog, dominating in Maui HS Football the past 2 years? that’s a very BIG compliment dude! But, the boys actually fought through those wins against Maui High and Baldwin. Won in OT against each of those 2 teams. Kamehameha Maui and King K we’re not as tough at that time but, they did have special players that prepped the boys for the big dance! ALL OF MAUI had a role for Lahainaluna’s success. Lahaina is the only team to beat the neighbor islands “TOP TEAM” in Kona, Kapaa, (ILH) Iolani and (OIA) Waipahu (Iolani and Waipahu smashing D1 right now). MIL is our sparring partners, and it paid off! If you don’t know, zip it! Cause you goin look dumb! Poaching? I guess it’s poaching when majority of your players is 5’6” 140lbs? (Past 2 years) but eh!…I would be mad at my team too if these little hammahz was running the table against my big sole’z from the “BIG CITY” of Oahu. Worst than Iolani?..again, your opinion (a-hole) is just bigger and stinkier than most. Have a BLESSED FOOTBALL SEASON BROTHA!!

For those of you who think you know about our Lahainaluna football team or coaches, it’s obvious you don’t know what they represent or teach our kids. They have a proven system, that not only wins championships, but teaches these young men to be upstanding citizens. I know how hard these coaches work, and it’s not about their egos or winning. I don’t know how D1/D2 works, but I know this team Buss okole every season for get where they at.
If you from Lahaina, and you one true LUNATIC, then you know that we support ALL LAHAINALUNA athletics. If you crying about which division the football team stay in, MOVE!

@ M and @ Bobby C I want to walk my comment back “The truth is it’s always been about the coaches at Lahainaluna, not the kids. Championships feed their ego.” Pretty harsh and I apologize, I know not all the coaches feel this way and would love to play up, but I think the one or two making that decision, it could be applied, the optics aren’t great. I’ve been a supporter of this program for a couple decades and I know there are plenty of other lunatics that have expressed the same views/opinions. Why else would you use the excuse that it’s because you want to send the two best teams from Maui to represent at states. Just worry about what’s best for your team and if Baldwin and Maui High can’t compete then that’s their problem/fault. I do stand by my comment that other coaches at the school laugh about it because I’ve heard it straight from their mouths. When you’re easily the best team on Maui you shouldn’t be playing in the lowest division in the state. When there were only two divisions then I agree, but three, no way, they’re too good and I’ll give the coaches all the credit in the world (and players) for that. Nobody is questioning that they have a great program, one of the best in the state. I’ll double down and say the players that I know (many on that team) all wish they could play D1 because they are athletes and competitors and want to beat the best. My money would be on them to take the D1 title this year and by the rankings I’m not the only one that thinks this. Let’s hope they move up next year and when they do the D1 title will be that much sweeter. It’ll show those boys from the ILH and OIA that the MIL is for real. I know these boys have it in them, they just need to be given the chance and nobody will be rooting for them more than me.

LLFL

Northshore: I was mostly referring to the the greater Honolulu District where most of the ILH schools and their OIA counterparts,Kaiser, Kalani, Kaimuki, McKinley and Roosevelt are situated. The school districts that I referenced have relatively affluent neighborhoods from Hawaii Kai to Manoa so if you’re being honest, a lot of those families prefer to send their children to ILH schools. As a St. Louis Alum I can tell you that the financial aid gravy train has vastly been depleted over the years (verify this with Russell Valente). As you may recall, until 4 years ago, St. Louis was on the verge of closing due to financial hardship and the School is leveraged to the hilt. The recruiting and scholarship theories are largely b.s. but its still a very viable excuse that Kahuku and Mililani like to tout.